Thai Chi for Health & Vitality
By: Debra Kirchhof-Glazier & Kevin Hennenhoefer
The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association recently began offering Free Friday presentations at the end of each month at the Natural Connection Wellness Center, a property at the corner of 4th and Mifflin Streets that we are renovating as a facility for wellness services and community events. Those who attended the Free Friday presentation in October experienced firsthand the power and beauty of tai chi, a system of movement that promotes health and vitality and which originated as a martial art. Juniata College student, Kevin Hennenhoefer, a martial artist and practitioner of tai chi, shared some of the history of this ancient art and led the group in a sample form of tai chi. As one of the attendees, I was fascinated by what I learned and decided to share the experience with the wider community by partnering with Kevin to write this month’s article.
Tai chi, formally known as Taijichuan, originated over 700 years ago in China as an extremely deadly form of martial art that focused on disabling the energetic field of one’s opponent. The Chinese have long been known for their appreciation of the importance of the energy flow through the body, which they call qi (chi), and their exploration and understanding of how it moves in the body’s energy fields, known as meridians. Chinese medicine focuses on 12 major meridians in the body, which have numerous points along their courses that can be accessed by acupuncture. The energy in these 12 meridians flows in a cyclic pattern over a 24 hour period, with each meridian in ascendance for a particular two hour period. The culture and philosophy of Chinese medicine was the stimulus that encouraged the collaboration between martial artists and practitioners of Chinese medicine that spawned taijichuan or tai chi.
Not surprisingly, the originators carefully protected this powerful form of combat for many years. It was not until the 1300s that martial artist Wang Tsung-yeuh wrote down a treatise on tai chi and hid it in a Shaolin temple in Chen village. This treatise was discovered in the 1800s by a prominent martial artist, Yang Lu-Ch’an, who taught it to his son, who then passed it on to his sons, one of whom was Yang Cheng-fu (1862-1930). Yang Lu-Ch’an’s original form of tai chi was very fast and energetic with challenging aerobic postures, but Yang Cheng-fu modified the form to its present slow moving postures in order to share it widely with everyone in China to enhance their health and strength and in turn, the strength of their nation. The Yang Cheng Fu form of tai chi is widely practiced in China today and is the form most familiar to Westerners.
Learning tai chi is challenging but rewarding. It involves performing a series of movements that stimulates the flow of energy through the body. The movements are stylized and precise, and the specific forms need to be done in their entirety in order to properly channel the energy. In fact, shortening a tai chi form can actually be detrimental, as it can disrupt the proper flow pattern of qi through your body, which will decrease your vitality.
Energy moves at the speed of light and thus cannot be truly focused. However, it can be encouraged to flow along its natural pathways, which is facilitated by tai chi, and can be experienced both directly by a sensation of tingling during the movements and afterward from an overall sense of well-being.
When first learning tai chi, it is unlikely that you will feel a difference in your energy. This can be due to a general lack of awareness, since westerners are not trained to think in terms of energy. But it also has to do with the fact that conscious thought, required for learning the complex moves, can block qi. With discipline and practice, the movements will become second nature, allowing you to truly “go with the flow”. At this point your body will move softly and fluidly in a relaxed and balanced state with virtually no awareness of your movements. This is known as the state of “sung”. At this level the practitioner can get the same benefit from smaller and smaller movements, to the point where the great masters hardly appear to be moving at all.
The first westerner to be recognized as a tai chi master by the Chinese is Erle Montaigue, who is currently alive and an expert in the use of energy in both martial arts and healing. Like Yang Chen-fu, Erle desires to share his knowledge with others and has put the Yang Chen Fu form of tai chi in its entirety on his website for free at http://www.taiji-qigong.co.uk/Books.html#3 . See video clips 1-28.
If you want to learn more about tai chi and its related form, qi gong, the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association is planning to offer some classes in the spring at the Natural Connection Wellness Center. Contact Debra Kirchhof-Glazier at kirchhof@juniata.edu or 627-2582 for more information about these classes or about upcoming Free Friday events on a variety of subjects.
In the meantime, it is helpful to be conscious of cultivating all kinds of positive habits of mind, body, and spirit to keep your energy flowing and your health at its best. Good luck and hope to see you at the Natural Connection!
The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association makes no medical claims or recommendations. Check with your doctor about your specific health care needs.